Child Care in Higher Ed: New Arrivals on College Campuses

Earlier this spring, the new University Child Care Center at Mission Bay arrived at University of California San Francisco (UCSF).

And just two weeks ago, the UC Davis Hutchison Child Development Center celebrated its 10th birthday.

Why child care in higher ed? Simple. It makes the job easier. "In a recent survey," said Clare Shinnerl, associate vice chancellor of UCSF Campus Life Services, "94 percent of our parents with children enrolled in UCSF child care said that having on-site child care positively impacted their ability to concentrate on the job, to be productive, and to integrate personal and professional demands."

But there's more than employees at stake.

The New Face of the College Campus

College campuses have changed. Once the domain for children leaving the nest, today campuses are just as likely to be places where people are building nests. Need proof? Just check out the news. Earlier this year, a single mother made the papers for graduating Harvard Law School with her one-year-old in tow (the feat was made even more remarkable by her story of studying for final exams while in labor the year before). In May, an Arkansas State photo went viral showing a professor holding a baby mid-lecture - one of many such images illustrating how teachers are helping young parent students to attend class.

"This is so common," wrote CNN, "that a simple Google search for "professor holds baby" will give you several similar stories."

A Trend on College Campuses

The UCSF center is the fourth for the university, weighing in at 24-thousand square feet, 18 classrooms, seven playgrounds, two art rooms, and a capacity of 272 children, and becoming the largest child care center in all of San Francisco.

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